Ordnance (AAO)
Missiles AIM-109 Medusa The AIM-109 Medusa was a small, trans-atmospheric capable, ship-to-ship (or air-to-air in atmosphere) guided missile, designed to replace the was an update of the Great War-era . Designed for launch from small mobile platforms such as starfighters, it was most effective against Covenant single ships such as the Seraph-class starfighter, being capable on most occasions of destroying it with either a direct hit or a close proximity detonation. The Medusa featured several homing systems to prevent it being jammed by enemy countermeasures, and an advanced HEAT tandem warhead with kinetic energy penetrator. This was most effective at destroying targets with a direct hit but could heavily damage them even with a near miss. The AIM-109 featured both contact and proximity detonation systems, meaning it was more likely to damage a target that was taking evasive action. AGM-148 Scorpion The AGM-148 Scorpion was an air-to-ground anti-armour and anti-structure missile and the replacement for the Great War-era . The AGM-148 was a hypervelocity contact/proximity detonated missile; although lacking in agility, its speed and high accuracy virtually guaranteed a direct hit against slow and medium moving ground vehicles and stationary structures. Using the same tandem HEAT/kinetic energy penetrator warhead as the AIM-109 Medusa, the missile featured multiple types of both primary and backup target acquisition sensors, enabling it to thwart most active and passive countermeasures. The missile was used by fighter craft such as the F-352B Longsword-class Starfighter through use of internal hardpoint bays, though could also be utilised by the D77H Pelican Dropship mounted to its wing hardpoints. The missile was utilised exclusively against ground craft, and saw extensive employment by air support VTOL craft for anti-armour and anti-structure fire. The Scorpion was a fire-and-forget, multi sensor-guided air to ground missile. It featured combined RADAR, UV and optical guidance systems to best ensure a direct hit to the target, and prevent being interfered with by enemy countermeasures. Internally, the missile made use of several combined antitank methods to ensure the best possible rate of target destruction. It also featured various rudimentary computing systems, which enabled it to overcome both passive and active countermeasures in favour of the real target. The missile's payload was arranged as a tandem HEAT warhead with a kinetic energy penetrator in between the two. The first explosion would severely damage the external target's armour and defeat any present reactive armour or shielding. A splitsecond later, the larger, second lot of explosives would detonate, channeling the most of its power forward, damaging the armour again but also sending a kinetic energy penetrator at superhigh velocity into the target's armour. This penetrator was made up of a laminated tungsten alloy, comprised of tungsten, cerium and copper carbide (altogether known as TC3). This had self-sharpening, pyrophoric properties, virtually guaranteeing a kill against even the most advanced strongest shielding and armour. Its self-sharpening properties meant that upon hitting enemy armour, the penetrator's tip would fragment in a way so that the remaining tip still remained sharp. Its pyrophoric properties gave it a useful secondary explosive/incendiary property, gutting enemy vehicles and killing their crew. When engaging infantry, more lightly armoured targets or large, unarmoured structures, the tandem warhead would instead detonate simultaneously, creating a more powerful explosion and making it overall more effective. The missile's target tracking arrays and simple propulsion systems were located at the rear of the missile. It was not an agile missile and was unable to engage any targets other than immobile, slow or medium-speed targets at ground level. ASGM-12 Longbow The ASGM-12 Longbow was a small, high yield nuclear antiship missile designed for launch from fighter-sized platforms such as the F/A-252B Longsword. The Longbow was an improved version of the Great War-era antiship missile, featuring improved targeting sensors to maximise its effectiveness against Covenant warships. The Longbow's warhead remained unchanged from its predecessor, being a single thermonuclear warhead with a lithium triteride casing; this casing both focused the blast inwards and added fissionable material to the reaction, resulting in its strength being multiplied a hundred fold from a relatively small initial yield warhead. The advantage of this was the power relative to the missile's size, as it achieved a yield approximate to half that of the 's highest strength in a fraction of the size, allowing a viable antiship weapon to be carried by fighter-sized craft. AGM-155 Spear BGM-14 Volley The BGM-14 Volley was a multirole guided missile designed for launch from a wide range of platforms including ground-based launchers and airborne starfighters. The BGM-14 was designed (as its multirole designation suggested) to be effective against a wide range of targets including both soft and hard ground targets and aerial threats. The missile could be utilised as a MITV, or multiple independently targetable vehicle, when deployed alongside the AM-42 Multiple Ordnance Deployment Missile. The BGM-14 missile was a small, agile, short range missile, that was designated multi-role reflecting its ability to engage multiple types of target. The missile's warhead was arranged as a tandem HEAT charge with a kinetic energy penetrator in between the two. The first explosion would severely damage the external target's armour and defeat any present reactive armour or shielding. A split second later, the larger, second lot of explosives would detonate, channeling the most of its power forward, damaging the armour again but also sending a kinetic energy penetrator at super high velocity into the target's armour. This penetrator was made up of a laminated tungsten alloy, comprised of tungsten, cerium and copper carbide (altogether known as TC3). This had self-sharpening, pyrophoric properties, virtually guaranteeing a kill against even the most advanced strongest shielding and armour. Its self-sharpening properties meant that upon hitting enemy armour, the penetrator's tip would fragment in a way so that the remaining tip still remained sharp. Its pyrophoric properties gave it a useful secondary explosive/incendiary property, gutting enemy vehicles and killing their crew. When engaging infantry, more lightly armoured targets or large, unarmoured structures, the tandem warhead would instead detonate simultaneously, creating a more powerful explosion and making it overall more effective. This setup made the warhead effective against nearly all targets it could encounter, though alternative types were available for specific mission requirements. The missile's target tracking arrays and simple propulsion systems were located at the rear of the missile. The Volley could be launched from ground-based launchers or from the hardpoints of aircraft, but its most famous use was with the AM-42 Multiple Ordnance Deployment Missile. The AM-42 ODM would contain within it four Volley missiles. The AM-42 would get within range of the target, then deploy the BGM-14s, preserving their fuel reserves and maximising range. The four sub-munitions would then simultaneously attack the same target, or else attack four separate ones, depending on targeting information supplied to the missile. After the parent missile deployed the Volleys it released a parachute, providing its own continued targeting telemetry to the smaller missiles, which featured only rudimentary tracking systems themselves. The Volley missiles continued to be fed targeting data from other UNSC sources, including the launching craft, these were not likely to be in range and so the now-useless parent missile acted in support. The AM-42, although large and not particularly agile, was capable of hypersonic speeds, had excellent range and endurance and was equipped with better than average sensory equipment. This enabled it to get the BGM-14s in range of their target while preserving their limited fuel, and also then providing telemetry support from afar. The Volley was effective against most targets, being powerful enough to, when attacking in concert, destroy a Seraph-class Starfighter. The missiles were also extremely agile and capable of hypersonic speed (although their range was limited following separation) and could easily destroy a Banshee with a single impact. The BGM-14 was also highly effective against infantry and light vehicles, and could on individually defeat most of the Covenant's ground vehicles. More armoured targets such as s and their successors, the Gun Wraith, could not generally endure two direct hits. AM-42 Multiple Ordnance Deployment Missile The AM-42 Multiple Ordnance Deployment Missile was a hypersonic guided missile that could deploy multiple types of ordnance; developed to carry the AGM-155 Spear, the AM-42 was also equipped with the BGM-14 Volley as an MITV (Multiple Independently Targetable Vehicle) payload. The AM-42 had a length of four metres and was 1.15m in height; it could store 4 Volley missiles in helical formation and variable amounts of other munitions. The missile was guided to its target by dual jam-resistant RADAR and infrared/laser guidance. Once detatched from the launching craft it was entirely autonomous, and featured various 'smart' systems to thwart enemy countermeasures. ''Shiva''-class Nuclear Missile The Shiva-class Nuclear Missile was a starship/starfighter-launched missile with a variable yield thermonuclear warhead, designed primarily for antiship purposes. The power of the weapon was such that a direct hit would disable a fully protected ''CCS''-class Battlecruiser's shields and deal moderate damage to its hull. The Shiva was most commonly deployed from UNSC warships though could also be used by single ships such as the [[F-352B Longsword-class Starfighter|F-352B Longsword-class Starfighter]] and [[F/A-361 Scythe-class Interceptor|F/A-361 Scythe-class Interceptor]]. ''Zinko''-class Nuclear Missile The Zinko-class Nuclear Missile was a replacement for the ageing Shiva-class, featuring more advanced stealth, targeting and anti-countermeasure design features, allowing it a far greater chance of reaching its target. The Zinko was most often deployed from UNSC warships though could be launched from ground based facilities also, and larger starfighters could carry it into action if necessary. Bombs BLU-80 Bomb The BLU-80 was a small unguided bomb used for ground attack on light targets such as infantry and vehicles. The bomb was also effective at tactical strikes such as attacks on enemy airfields or supply stations, or carpet bombing of an area. An optional add-on kit was available which equipped the BLU-80 with a seeker head and control fins, which was then designated the GBU-80 Guided Bomb. BLU-81 Bomb The BLU-81 Bomb was a mid-sized unguided bomb that was effective against armoured vehicles, buildings and softer targets. The bomb could be upgraded to the GBU-81 Guided Bomb through optional addition of guidance systems and additional control fins. GBU-54 guided flechette Although not technically a bomb, the GBU-54 guided flechette was a guided munition that gained propulsion from gravity, rather than an internal system. GBU-54 was a large fin-stabilised metal projectile, featuring satellite, infrared and optical guidance systems and a penetrating tip. The flechette was designed for launch from high altitude or low orbit aircraft, where it would fall to the ground, guiding itself down onto its target and gaining huge kinetic energy in freefall. The flechette was designed against hardened targets such as the heaviest of armoured vehicles and hardened fortifications, and could also be used to great effect against targets of strategic importance. The GBU-54 featured folding wings and fins which saved space when not in use. Used against hard targets such as armoured vehicles, hardened structures and tactically important sites such as refuelling points, the flechette was launched from a craft often far removed from the target area. This allowed UNSC forces to hit an enemy remotely with precision and power, the flechette being powerful enough to pass right through the top of a main battle tank and then emerge underneath it, impaling it right through, or passing through dozens of floors of a building (or decks of an unshielded ship) before coming to a stop. The GBU-54 was a flechette designed to be dropped from considerably altitude by air or spacecraft. Featuring self-guidance systems similar to those of a guided bomb, the flechette would guide itself down to its target using predetermined information fed from a wide range of UNSC sources, including ground forces and the launching craft, directly or relayed through satellites. While in freefall, the flechette would make use of control surfaces to adjust its trajectory, ensuring it hit its target. With a mass of 530kg and a total cross-sectional area of less than 80 square centimetres, the GBU-54 had a terminal velocity of 7,636 kph (Mach 6.2) assuming gravity of 1 g. While it did not always reach terminal velocity, depending on the altitude from which it was deployed, its speed was sufficient in any case to critically damage most targets. The flechette contained two main 'wings' and a tail of four stabilising fins, which both stabilised the flechette in freefall and controlled its trajectory. As a space-saving measure, the main wings folded into the side of the flechette and the fins folded sideways, unfolding once it was deployed. The GBU-54's penetrating tip was depleted uranium, featuring a self-sharpening tip. This meant that when the tip fragmented on impact it would do so in a way that the remaining tip was still sharp. DU was also pyrophoric, meaning it had a secondary incendiary effect upon impact, doing considerable secondary damage to the target. Titanium carbide tips were available for usage where collateral damage needed to be kept to a minimum, and various others were available depending on the target/task. A deployed flechette had a length of 2.4 metres and a width of 1.49 metres; while a folded flechette measured 1.9 metres long and 0.61 metres wide. Rockets Mines MORAY Spatial Mine MORAY Spatial mines were starfighter-launched high explosive mines with a very high area of effect, intended for use against hostile single ships. The MORAY featured proximity, contact and remote activation systems, and featured a high explosive fragmentation warhead that could destroy a Seraph-class Starfighter at close range or severely cripple it with a glancing hit. The mine also had rudimentary, though efficient, rapid propulsion systems, to allow it to autonomously approach enemy targets (as determined by IFF checks) and magnetic systems which allowed it to adhere to its target, guaranteeing a kill. The MORAY was coated in stealth ablative coating and other advanced metameterials which allowed it to remain undetected even at extreme close range. It had a kill radius of 150m and a damage radius out to 400m. The MORAY was ineffective against Covenant warships. The Longsword could hold up to 36 of these in its ventral ordnance bay. HORNET Spatial Mine